Positive Health Online

Abstract

LI and colleagues, Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China, have studied the prevention of stomach cancer by selenium and garlic.

Background

Eating raw garlic has been found to help prevent stomach cancer. The aim of this study was to examine whether allitridum, the component of garlic thought to be responsible for this effect, together with micro-doses of selenium, could prevent gastric cancer.

Methodology

In this double-blinded intervention study, people were recruited who had either a history of stomach disorders, a family history of stomach cancer, or a lifestyle that involved heavy smoking and/or alcohol consumption. Two groups, a treatment group of 2,526 persons and a control group of 2,507 persons, were enrolled in the study. The treatment group ingested 200 mg of synthetic allitridum every day and 100 micrograms of selenium every other day for one moths per year for 2 years. People in the control group took a placebo.

Results

In the first 5 years after the intervention, the morbidity rate in the control group decreased by 22%, compared to the treatment group where the morbidity rate decreased by 47%. The relative risks were calculated to be 0.67 and 0.48 in the whole population, and for men they were 0.51 and 0.36.

Conclusion

Large doses of allitridum and micro-doses of selenium afford substantial protection against stomach cancer, especially in men.

References

Li H, Li HQ, Wang Y, Xu HX, Fan WT, Wang ML, Sun PH, Xie XY. An intervention study to prevent gastric cancer by micro-selenium and large doses of allitridum. Chinese Medical Journal 117 (8): 1155-1160, Aug 2004.